Just think of room after room of the craziest scenes you're ever likely to see... with two different ways to get out... it's a choice that you'll have to make for yourself. This morning marked the grand opening, complete with ribbon cutting, of Cleveland BioLabs (CBL) in Buffalo. The first thing that I noticed upon approaching the research building was the amount of Cleveland license plates in the parking lot. The next thing that I saw was the red carpet leading into the building and a large reception tent (catered by Quaker Bonnet) nearby.
I couldn't stick around for the ribbon cutting, but I did get a chance to talk to Linda Webster, Operations Manager for CBL. Linda has been in Buffalo since June, and she expressed how excited she was to be a part of this new operation. "My friends and family never thought I would leave Cleveland. I was born and raised there. But it's only three hours away, and this was a great opportunity for many of us. So far thirty-one people have moved here and a few more are in the process of getting here. Want to hear something incredible? No one stayed behind, and so far we've had a ball. We have project directors, senior scientists, technologists... people from top to bottom. Plus all of the administration support was hired locally."
Cleveland BioLabs (73 High Street) is now fully operational. They have taken over the former Hauptman-Woodward facility and have taken the interior from dark and dreary to... well... it's a big difference. Major renovations were done on conference rooms and laboratories - walls have come down, and small spaces have been opened up. CBL moved here because of its strong relationship with Roswell Park. The company specializes in the "protection of cells and treatment of cancer". The company plans on doubling the number of employees in coming years.